In still another hallmark of this most inept presidential administration, we consider President Obama’s appointment of Eric Holder as United States Attorney General. This selection was questionable, to say the least, on the basis of Mr. Holder’s background, and his conduct in office has shown that he is nothing more than a tool of the Obama administration.

The term “wimp” in describing Mr. Holder comes to mind. It is no doubt a pejorative word but its use here finds support in the dictionary. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, defines wimp as a weak, cowardly, or ineffectual person. The use of the disjunctive in the definition makes its use appropriate because in my view Mr. Holder is definitely ineffectual although the other definitions may also apply, depending on whom you ask. Other individuals and groups go even further, seeking his impeachment on the grounds of corruption.

Mr. Holder was President Obama’s first cabinet appointment. The two first met in 2004 and hit it off immediately. Therefore the appointment smacks of cronyism. But more than that, one need only peruse freelance writer Ron Kolb’s detailed and informative article (available on Google) for insights into Mr. Holder’s background. Far from having strong credentials for the post, his background is questionable in terms of his lack of, shall we say, unwavering support for law enforcement. One notable instance occurred when as Deputy Attorney General, he knowingly stood silent to the proposed pardon by President Clinton of convicted swindler/fugitive Marc Rich, which he later admitted to have been a mistake. On another occasion he recommended clemency to President Clinton for members of FALN, a Puerto Rican terrorist group. This is not the type of background you would want to find in the nation’s top cop. His controversial past compels the conclusion that he should never have been appointed in the first place.

Currently, Mr. Holder is refusing to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS scandal. This is the case where the IRS is suspected of targeting Tea Party and other conservative groups seeking section 501(c)(4) tax exemption status for special treatment, i.e., delays in processing and unnecessary and improper inquiries. The IRS, one of the most feared of government agencies, is supposed to be impartial in the discharge of its duties. Yet President Obama told Fox News journalist Bill O’Reilly during an interview on Super Bowl Sunday that there is not even a “smidgeon” of corruption surrounding this case. Yet if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…

Indeed, if there is no corruption and nothing to hide over this issue, it is puzzling that IRS official Lois Lerner has repeatedly taken the 5th amendment in refusing to answer congressional questions during its efforts to investigate the matter. Instead of a special prosecutor, President Obama has appointed a member of his administration and a generous contributor to his campaign, an individual clearly partisan to the president, to conduct an investigation. This is a blatant and egregious abuse of power which should not be allowed. The real question which needs to be answered is what person or persons approved Lois Lerner’s conduct. It remains to be seen if the investigation reaches this issue.

But protecting the administration in the IRS targeting scandal is not the only controversial act by the Attorney General. Mr. Holder has failed to turn over requested records by the House Oversight Committee concerning operation “Fast and Furious.” For this blatant coverup, in June, 2012, after a 16-month investigation, the Attorney General was held in Contempt of Congress, both civilly and criminally, the first cabinet member to be so cited. Executive privilege has also been asserted over those records. Although all of the facts are not known, thousands of automatic weapons were apparently purchased from gun dealers by Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives agents and sold to gun traffickers. This was done in an apparent effort to trace the guns to drug cartel users in Mexico. However there was no follow through. Two of the weapons were later discovered at the murder scene of Agent Brian Terry in December, 2011. Mr. Holder has been accused of lying to the House Committee about when he first heard of this operation.

There are many more instances where Mr. Holder’s conduct can be seen as undermining the country’s security. But in the interests of brevity they will not be described now. Suffice it to say that
the country needs and deserves to have a tough and effective Attorney General, not one who is clearly devoted to protecting his benefactor, i.e., the person who appointed him in the first place.

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